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Ruturaj Gaikwad continued his blazing red-hot form with a classy century, guiding Maharashtra to a solid 313 all out against Chandigarh on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group B encounter on Saturday. After early blows that saw Prithvi Shaw (8) and Siddesh Veer (7) depart cheaply, Gaikwad took charge with trademark fluency, crafting 116 off 163 balls — a knock laced with 15 boundaries. The skipper found strong support from Saurabh Nawale (66) and young gun Arshin Kulkarni (50 off 55), as Maharashtra recovered through a key 152-run stand for the fifth wicket between Gaikwad and Nawale. Left-arm spinner Raman Bishnoi broke the partnership, striking twice in quick succession to remove Nawale and Jalaj Saxena, while medium pacers Jagjit Singh (3/79) and Abhishek Saini (3/55) kept Chandigarh in the contest. Karun Nair Steadies Karnataka with Unbeaten 86 At Shimoga, Karun Nair continued his comeback story with an assured 86 not out, steering Karnataka to 222/5 against Goa. Returning after two seasons, Nair looked in control throughout, adding an unbroken 94-run stand with Shreyas Gopal (48)* to steady the innings after early wobbles. Left-arm pacer Arjun Tendulkar impressed for Goa, picking up 3/47. Chirag Jani, Jadeja Power Saurashtra vs MP In Rajkot, opener Chirag Jani’s gritty 82 off 138 helped Saurashtra reach 258/8 against Madhya Pradesh. India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja contributed 36 with four fours and a six before falling to Kumar Kartikeya, who starred for MP with 4/84. Harnoor Singh’s Ton Holds Punjab Together At New Chandigarh, opener Harnoor Singh showed remarkable patience with a fine 126 off 259 balls, taking Punjab to 240/6 against Kerala. The left-hander held firm even as wickets fell at the other end, with Nedumankuzhy Basil (2/44) being the pick of Kerala’s attack. Brief Scores Maharashtra 313 all out in 85.5 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 116, Saurabh Nawale 66, Arshin Kulkarni 50; Abhishek Saini 3/55, Jagjit Singh 3/79) vs Chandigarh. Karnataka 222/5 in 69 overs (Karun Nair 86*, Shreyas Gopal 48*; Arjun Tendulkar 3/47) vs Goa. Saurashtra 258/8 in 82.3 overs (Chirag Jani 82, Ravindra Jadeja 36; Kumar Kartikeya 4/84) vs Madhya Pradesh. Punjab 240/6 in 87 overs (Harnoor Singh 126; Nedumankuzhy Basil 2/44) vs Kerala. (with PTI inputs)
